Back to Wednesday
Agriculture

Centre maps 315 districts for contingency plans as monsoon deficit widens to 43%

5 min readSource: The Indian ExpressArticle 9 of 14

With the southwest monsoon deficit at around 43% below normal, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on June 23, 2026 that the Centre has prepared District Agriculture Contingency Plans (DACP) for 315 vulnerable districts likely to be affected by weak rainfall. Of these, 111 districts are high-priority (irrigation coverage below 25%), 76 are medium-priority (25-50% irrigation) and 128 are low-priority. These districts are spread mainly across 12 states, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Citing El Nino conditions and an IMD forecast of weak rains until at least July 2, Chouhan urged farmers to shift to less water-intensive crops such as pulses and millets to protect the kharif season.

Key Facts & Details

9 points
  • 1
    Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the monsoon deficit is around 43% below normal.
  • 2
    The Centre has prepared contingency plans for 315 vulnerable districts for the kharif season.
  • 3
    Of these, 111 are high-priority (irrigation below 25%), 76 medium-priority and 128 low-priority.
  • 4
    The districts span mainly 12 states, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP and Rajasthan.
  • 5
    Farmers were urged to switch to less water-intensive crops like pulses and millets.
  • 6
    The risk is linked to El Nino, with the IMD forecasting weak rains until at least July 2.

Deep Dive

  • +
    The kharif (monsoon) season runs roughly June-October, with crops sown at the onset of the monsoon and harvested at its end.
  • +
    District Agriculture Contingency Plans guide alternative cropping, water-use efficiency and crop diversification in weak-rain years.
  • +
    El Nino — abnormal warming of the central-eastern Pacific — is typically associated with weaker Indian monsoons.
Q

Exam Focus

Examiners may test the deficit figure (~43%), the number of districts (315; 111 high-priority), the minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan), the El Nino link and the suggested crops (pulses, millets).

Related Topics

monsoonkharifEl Ninocontingency planShivraj Singh Chouhan

Exam Relevance & Angle

Monsoon, kharif and El Nino items are core Agriculture GA; the 43% deficit, the 315 districts (111 high-priority), minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the pulses/millets advisory are exact, testable hooks.

Target Exams

SBI POSBI ClerkIBPS POIBPS ClerkIBPS RRB OfficerIBPS RRB AssistantRBI Grade BNABARD Grade ASSC CGLRRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

The southwest monsoon (June-September) delivers most of India's annual rainfall and is critical to the kharif (summer-sown) crops such as rice, pulses, oilseeds, millets and cotton. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) monitors and forecasts its progress, measuring a rainfall 'deficit' against the long-period average. A weak monsoon is often associated with El Nino, a periodic warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that tends to suppress Indian rainfall. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, headed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, prepares District Agriculture Contingency Plans through the ICAR-CRIDA framework, advising on alternative crops and water management. Less water-intensive crops such as pulses and millets are promoted to cut risk and conserve water.

Related GK Concepts

Must Know
Southwest monsoonKharif cropsEl NinoDistrict Agriculture Contingency Plans (DACP)India Meteorological Department (IMD)

Test Yourself

1 / 2

How many districts has the Centre mapped for agriculture contingency plans amid the 2026 monsoon deficit?

Source

The Indian Express

This topic is important for:

SBI PO

Exam Guide Mock Test

SBI Clerk

Exam Guide Mock Test

IBPS PO

Exam Guide Mock Test
Centre maps 315 districts for contingency plans as monsoon deficit widens to 43% — Current Affairs 2026-06-24